Wouldn't You Like To Know Who Your Soul Mate Was?

Matched By Ally Condie

I bet you weren't expecting another book review so soon, maybe you were, but I don't know how many people are reading my blog right now, it might just be me.  I am expecting to do a couple of blog layout changes again shortly, but I couldn't resist another review.  

A good friend of mine Sis M. in our branch recommended this book to me and couldn't get it into my hands fast enough, except for the fact that she had already leant the book out to someone else. (BUMMER!)  Fortunately, it was like a ghost haunting me or something because I would see it in the bookstore and be instantly drawn to it.  

I had actually read another book by Ally Condie, she had written a series for LDS youth and I picked up the first one in the series and it was a super quick read as well. I didn't realize that they were one in the same until I had read her bio on her website.  It was like, NOW I DEFINATELY NEED TO READ MATCHED!

So on with the Book Review!

So in this society, the society has picked the age limit on all human beings will be.  There are also age requirements set on each person (when to meet their mate, when they will marry, when they will die, etc.)  The society has also done away with handwriting and they now deal with more technologically advanced communication.  

So the book sets out with Cassia a 16 year old girl going to a Match banquet where she will find out who her soul mate is.  (wouldn't we all like to know when we're 16 years old!) She gets matched and finds out that her match is none other than her best friend Xander.  She's suprised and so is he.  They both feel fortunate that they found one another without officially being matched!  

She is sent home with a port card -match card that has all the information about Xander on it (most of it she already knows) and the rules and regulations on "courting" and "dating" and making their match official in marriage at 21.  When she loads it into her computer Xander's face shows up and then flashes off and another guys face shows up, and apparently she knows him too!  His name is Ky.

So Cassia has to then decide what is the right thing for her in this society.  Unfortunately this society is also breaking down around her.  She is given a work placement to sort things people, places, things, numbers, etc. Her recreation time is limited to certain activities (swimming, planting, hiking) and everyone is constantly being watched for probably what would be the "supreme" beings of society.  During this time she becomes more and more confused as to who to pick to be matched to, helping her family, and the community she lives in, while she properly follows orders, even though she constantly questions them, she even gets taught by Ky the skill of handwriting which was hidden and covered so no one knew what they were doing.

This book definately leaves you wanting more. It is worth every word on it's page.  

As a side note, I don't know what the other books in the series will be like but It was relatively tame "teen" fiction respects, no big violence, no innapropriate language or vulgarity, no sexual situations.  It may change in the later books, it may not.  (I may write a post about the Hunger Games series and Twilight Series, to show you what I mean)  It was an honest telling of a story that invites you to talk about "what would happen if...?"

Read it!  It is Excellent!

H2O FOR PACHYDERMS

The Book

I have to say that I get way to excited when it comes to movie adaptations of books that I read, want to read, or have read.  There have been several times when I've been completely disappointed because the movie changed lots of the story, left story out, or added stuff that wasn't in the story. 

I'm so excited that I was going to read the book, because my previous book was just a huge and long and arduous process to read that when I read Water for Elephants it was just a fast and eventful from PAGE ONE! Horray!

I do have to say that there is some content in the book that was a little naughty, but if you prevail with reading it you will end up with such a satisfying story.

I was really enlightened because I really haven't read a lot of what is considered "ADULT" fiction.  I have been in the Teen/Young Adult area of literature that I was afraid of reading content that was just inappropriate.

I do have to say just keep reading it.  Running Away With the Circus is something you wouldn't expect to do in 2011 but somehow Jacob Jankowski does just that during the depression.  His exploration of his surroundings is real and the images just leap of the pages.   

The Movie

Although they left some characters and details out the director and actors were able to portray such a similar story that left you greatfully pleased with the entire movie.  Yes Robert Pattinson was in this movie, not that it had any way swayed my idea of going to see it because he was in it.  Yes I've read the Twilight series and I've seen all the movies so far too, and I've got to say, he's come a long way from being a vampire to being a fantastic mortal human being.  He almost didn't need to "act" because he was Jacob Jankowski.

I was really glad that the most important parts of the story were there and amid the small unnoticeable changes the movie captivated me from beginning to end. 

and OH the naughty bits in the movie were there but there wasn't any nudity or anything that would surprise you if you hadn't read the book.

The one thing that was apparent was it was a little bloody and there are fight sequences so be prepared for that when you see it.

Both the Book and the Movie get 4/5! The story is fantastic and worthwhile and the movie is just beautifully filmed and incredibly naturally acted.  I really want to see it again!

YES, I Finished the Book

Okay I Can Stop Complaining about a book that took me OVER A MONTH TO READ! BRUTAL!

I just finished it, SUCCESS!

I don't really know what to make of it.  It was slow, it was interesting, and the plot twists weren't that shocking, I can't help but be a little disappointed.

I'm glad I can now donate it to the Public Library and hopefully other people will enjoy it more than I did.

WHEW!  I'm glad it's over!

I really need to read something a little bit more uplifting and has a better story line lets me feel like it was a great, fabulous, fantastic story.

For my 4 blog followers:

Please do not let this be a poor review for you.  If you have wanted to read this, Please still read it.  Maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did.

If you have any books that you really enjoyed reading please let me know so that I can have a better time enjoying my favourite pasttime of reading.

Now I don't know why but I'm SO excited to read Water For Elephants!

Will The Book Gods Out there Help Me Finish Reading this Book

Her Fearful Symmetry

Has anyone out there read it?

If you have... is it just me or is the entire book SLOWER than Molassis in January?

and is it just me or is NOTHING of EVENT happening in ths book except for the realitivly small plot points.

HELP ME OUT HERE!  

I've got about 100 pages left and I really really don't want to read it anymore.

I want to read this book next

But I can't read it until I finish Her Fearful Symmetry

Someone help me out here and tell me that the last 100 pages are worth it.





Books Lately

So I've been on this quest to read all the books I have bought within the last year and a half. Yes I have added to this list recently because I've bought a couple books but I've managed to read and get my number down so it's almost under 30.

But I wanted to share with you My Book Reviews of a couple of the titles because they were much awesomeness.

And Part of the Reason I wanted to blog was because I love to read books and I am in the Library Field so I thought Hey I could write a blog about what I read. Even though there are probably about a zillion other book blogs out there. I wanted it to just be about my lovely life and the books I read which is probably what every other book blog is about as well.

So ONTO The Books!

I've had this book on my reading list for a very, very long time and did not have the chance to read it until very recently. I've got to say that no wonder this book is an acclaimed book, The story takes place in the first two decades of the 20th Century. It was written at the beginning of the last century and published during WWII and it tells such a wonderful beautiful story. When I first began reading it the size of it daunted me a bit and the story didn't move right away but in its simplicity a wonderful story takes place. It's a coming of age in Brooklyn New York, a young girl goes through her daily life and speaks in such a wonderful voice Francie Nolan grows up living the little dream she has to grow up. Her grandmother instilled on her mother the value of education and she instilled it on Francie. You see the world through her eyes and through the good points and the bad points it is simply grand to see the industrial revolution happen through her eyes. I loved every moment of it even during the most alarming moments without giving any plot details right away, this is definately in the TEEN section at Chapters and Probably Borders & Barnes and Noble in the states. The content is definately shocking and alarming to say the least. Even with the sad moments the characters revolving Francie have their own story her aunts, her mother and father, her brother, and they are simply wonderful.

Rate it: Read it! ☼☼☼☼/☼☼☼☼☼ 4/5 Suns

So Initially when I read this book the first time, I had to return it to the library after I Inter-Library Loaned it (Borrowed it from another Library in Ontario, not my own) Because a page into it there is some ADULT content which suprised the heck out of me. It didn't go into to much detail but after reading A Handmaid's Tale. I was afraid it was going to turn into a really not fun book to read. However, with the Movie coming out and looking really good I decided to bunker down and buy it. So I Literally laid down on my couch for hours and I was hooked, the story is a little sci-fi and a little romance. I absolutely love Henry and Claire together. I loved that Henry Flashed Forward and Backward to signifigant points of his life as he figured out why he Shifted through time as he did. It went through the good and the bad days and the moments in time when Claire was on her own waiting for Henry to return from whatever point in time he had travelled to. I really have to say that although the language was colourful sometimes the story was awesome, I loved that Henry was able to exist when he was already in that time. I even thought that through their hardships their relationship was able to be as strong as it could and as honest as it could. It was such a good book, although there is some adult content and strong language(It is in the ADULT section afterall) I really enjoyed it.

Rate It: Read It unless you find that you shouldn't because of the strong adult content!

☼☼☼☼/☼☼☼☼☼ 4/5 Suns